Celebrity Death

Michael Madsen's death is sending shockwaves through Hollywood ... and a bunch of celebs are remembering him with heartfelt tributes ... including his famous sister.

"Sideways" star Virginia Madsen says of her late older brother, "He was thunder and velvet. Mischief wrapped in tenderness. A poet disguised as an outlaw."

Virginia says Michael was a father, son and brother "etched in contradiction, tempered by love that left its mark." She says he's not a public figure but a "myth ... flesh and blood and ferocious art."

Michael Madsen -- famous for his roles in "Kill Bill," "Reservoir Dogs" and "Donnie Brasco" is dead.

The veteran Hollywood actor was found unresponsive in his Malibu home early Thursday and was pronounced dead at the scene ... TMZ has confirmed.

According to law enforcement sources ... someone called 911 and Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies responded and found Michael dead. The cause of death is unclear, but we're told Michael's death is being treated as natural causes. His rep Liz Rodriguez tells us he suffered cardiac arrest.

'Star Wars' actor Kenneth Colley, who played an Imperial officer in command of Darth Vader's ship in the hit movie franchise, is dead.

Ken died peacefully in his home Monday after contracting COVID and developing pneumonia ... according to his agent, Julian Owen.

He famously played Admiral Piett in "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi."

Liverpool forward Diogo Jota has died in a car crash ... and Cristiano Ronaldo is baffled by the loss as he leads the tributes to the late soccer star.

Taking to his Instagram to express his shock over the sudden loss, Ronaldo -- who played with Jota for Portugal -- admits it "doesn't make any sense," adding ... "Just now we were together in the National Team, just now you were married."

Jota married his partner Rute Cardoso less than 2 weeks before the fiery crash. They shared 3 children.

Dave Parker -- a 19-year MLB veteran who was voted into Cooperstown just months ago -- has died ... according to the league office.

MLB announced the news Saturday afternoon ... saying Parker passed away after a long bout with Parkinson's disease.

Parker -- who played for the Pirates in 11 of his 19 total seasons in the league -- was honored with a scoreboard tribute at PNC Park, where the Pirates are taking on the New York Mets.

Brian Wilson had multiple respiratory issues when he passed away ... and, now we know the reason why he simply stopped breathing.

TMZ has obtained the death certificate for Wilson ... which lists "respiratory arrest" as his main cause of death. According to the American CPR Care Association, respiratory arrest occurs when the heart is still beating, but the lungs stop functioning, making it impossible for the person to get oxygen.

Sepsis and cystitis -- infection issues -- are also listed on the document ... and, associated factors include neurodegenerative disorder, obstructive sleep apnea, chronic respiratory failure and chronic kidney disease.

Tragic news -- influencer Tanner Martin announced his own heartbreaking death at just 30 years old, after battling colon cancer for five years, in a video released Wednesday.

In a gut-wrenching pre-recorded video shared to his IG -- just weeks after he and his wife Shay welcomed their baby daughter Amy Lou -- Tanner looked straight into the camera and said, "Hey, it’s me, Tanner. If you're watching this, I am dead."

Tanner, who got the colorectal cancer diagnosis at 25 back in November 2020, said he lived a good life -- and while death scared him, he was actually looking forward to the afterlife because there were some people he was excited to meet, and some loved ones to see again.

The man accused of killing "King of the Hill" voice actor Jonathan Joss is claiming self-defense -- according to his lawyer.

Attorney Nico LaHood says Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez -- known as "Freddy" to friends and family -- is pleading not guilty, and insists he's innocent, adding ... "It’s difficult for anyone who's been accused of something they didn’t do, especially murder."

Alvarez was arrested earlier this month after allegedly shooting and killing his neighbor, Joss, during a heated argument in San Antonio, Texas, according to cops. The late actor’s husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, immediately dubbed it a hate crime -- claiming homophobic slurs were hurled by Alvarez before the fatal shot.

Bobby Sherman -- a musician who rose to fame as a teen heartthrob back in the 1960s -- has died ... TMZ has confirmed.

A longtime friend of Bobby tells TMZ he passed away Tuesday morning from stage 4 cancer at his home in Encino, L.A.

Bobby’s wife, Brigitte Poublon Sherman and friend John Stamos paid a joint IG tribute to him ... calling him "brave, gentle, and full of light" even in his final days, and also thanked fans for acknowledging his legacy.

Jack Betts, best recognized for his role in "Spider-Man" has died.

He died in his sleep Thursday at his Los Osos, California home, his nephew, Dean Sullivan, told The Hollywood Reporter. It is not known if he was suffering from any health concerns when he died.

The Miami-born star studied theater at the University of Miami and first found success on Broadway, landing a role in the 1953 adaptation of William Shakespeare's "Richard III," which starred José Ferrer.

Anne Burrell's death is being investigated as a possible drug overdose.

Law enforcement sources confirm to TMZ ... The NYPD is looking into the possibility the late Food Network star ingested a fatal amount of drugs.

TMZ broke the story ... Anne's husband, Stuart Claxton, found her unconscious early Tuesday morning, lying on the shower floor inside a bathroom in their Brooklyn home. Our sources also tell us police found a bunch of pills nearby.

Gailard Sartain -- the beloved Southern character actor from "Hee Haw," "Mississippi Burning," and "Fried Green Tomatoes" -- has died at 78, TMZ has confirmed.

Teresa Knox, CEO of The Church Studio in Tulsa, Oklahoma, tells TMZ Gailard passed away this week after a long decline in health. No official cause of death has been revealed.

The Church Studio -- where Sartain's wife Mary Jo volunteered -- is remembering him as "an extraordinary actor, artist, and comedian."

Sara Burack -- a star of Netflix's "Million Dollar Beach House" -- was killed by a hit-and-run driver in the Hamptons ... and the cops are trying to find the person who did it.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Burack was found unconscious on a roadway on Long Island, NY, early Thursday morning. She was rushed to Stony Brook University Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Police continued a massive search Friday for the driver ... details about the car and the driver have not been released.

Late Food Network star Anne Burrell had a bunch of pills nearby when her husband found her unresponsive on their shower floor ... TMZ has confirmed.

Law enforcement sources tell us "a large quantity of" unknown pills were found around where Anne died in her Brooklyn home.

TMZ broke the story ... Anne's husband, Stuart Claxton, found her unconscious early Tuesday morning, lying on the shower floor inside their bathroom.

Bobby Flay is paying homage to fellow celebrity chef Anne Burrell following her sudden passing earlier this week.

Flay took to Instagram to remember his colleague, saying, "'Worst Cooks in America’ was the funnest show on TV. All of your co-hosts (me included) were just alongside for the Anne Burrell ride."

He shared a photo of Burrell holding two Maine Coon cats and went on to say ... "The greatest gift I got from AB was turning me on to a world of Maine Coon Cats (including Nacho) ... a gift that I'll have forever." For context, Nacho is Flay's cat.

NYC restaurateur Melba Wilson is heartbroken over the sudden death of celebrity chef Anne Burrell ... telling TMZ it’s left her and the entire culinary world gutted.

Melba, a fellow Food Network personality, tells us she just spoke to Anne last week -- chatting about karaoke, backgammon, and life -- and nothing seemed out of the ordinary as she appeared healthy and vibrant.

When asked if Anne had ever mentioned being unwell, Melba shut it down -- saying there was never a word about any health issues.